How are you going to use your annual leave?

[Burpalot]

I've always been rubbish at taking a week or two of annual leave and staying at home. I end up spending all my time finding chores to do, and organising stuff in the house and not feeling particularly relaxed. I'm assuming holidays aren't happening any time soon, so not sure what to do?! I have 32 days to use up by the end of march 2021
What are you guys doing? (I don't have any DC)

We all get 5 weeks leave.

We have been told we all need to take 1 week over Christmas. (Not usual)

We have been told 3 weeks need to be taken before the end August. Leaving 1 week September - Christmas.

Everyone is frantically trying to book August off.

My job has certain busy weeks/months and I'm the only one at my place doing it. I can book a/l short notice as long as it's my quieter time.

Planning on doing it when the weather gets good is a great idea!

I lost out on a/l last year by changing jobs to a company with a different holiday year (I got paid for it but I'd rather have had the time off). I'm meant to take 14 days by the end of August but we're manic at work so for once in my life I appear to be indispensable

I've got Friday week booked off (cancelled trip - boo) which I'm planning to take. Don't know what to do about the fortnight booked later in the summer. Might see if I can take one week and carry a week over. Then there's three odd days I was hanging onto...

Not had a day off all year apart from weekends and am beginning to feel it now. I can't bear to lose more holiday

But. Once this is all over I will buzzing round the country catching up with friends and family.

We’ve been told we can carry over 10 days to next year (it’s usually 5).

I have a long holiday booked for the Autumn to visit family overseas but I can’t see that happening (luckily I’d only booked the time off, not tickets)

I’m not making any decisions until later in the year.

We were told when furloughed that once back we wouldn't be able to use any annual leave. They are using this time furloughed as our annual leave, so it looks as though I won't get any type of holiday this year.

I usually use a lot of mine to visit my parents as they live too far away to visit for a weekend, so I have no idea when I will next be seeing them.

DH had two weeks booked from this Friday for our holiday, he cancelled most of it then the next day his company sent out an email saying going forward all booked annual leave must still be taken as booked 😕

Not using it yet.

Saving it to resettle DD in nursery when it reopens (I might take time off so she can do half days to ease her back in). Also saving some to stay with family when lock down over.

They are using this time furloughed as our annual leave

Are they paying you 100% salary for this?

Our year runs Jan - Dec and we've been told we have to have used up 10 days by the end of June unless there are specific business reasons we can't (we are all WFH and I've been SO bloody busy). I'd already used 5 days before this kicked off so I will just take a week off before the end of June if I'm allowed. I'll be glad of the break tbh even if I can't go anywhere.

VenusClapTrap - so presumably you've told him you don't like biking and therefore a bike would be a shit present and you want (something you actually like) instead, yes? Or you'll be buying him cookbooks/gel nail set for his birthday and telling him thats your new joint hobby for Christmas?

Toomboom - agree with PP, don't think that's legal!

OP - is there anywhere in the UK you'd like to go, or friends you'd like to visit? I assume by march most hotels and things will have relaxed enough for holidays, so book a few city breaks around the country for later in the year, even if you pay the extra for cancel-able rooms, that way you won't lose out financially if worst comes to the worst.

I have 45 days this year to take, plus bank holidays, and toil days, so will add up to at least 55. Luckily I can spread them out into the middle of 2021, otherwise I'd be having three months off!

I'm in the US so it is slightly different but my employer has asked that people use 50% of their vacation (7.5 days out of total 15) by the end of August to help manage client demands in the latter half of the year.

I've spread it out and between vacation time and US public holidays I'm pretty much working 4 days a week until late August which is quite nice.

We had planned to take 2 weeks in the autumn to visit the UK, but we think that's off the table anyway so I'm not overly fussed. They did retract our summer Fridays though, meaning we lose 5 days off total.

I am pretty sure legally furlough is not annual leave however a company could theortically make you use annual leave instead, annual leave has to be paid at 100% of normal weekly pay
there was a big problem a few years ago with some companies paying annual leave as standard 37 hour week when normally employees did compulsory overtime; they were told annual leave had to be at the rate that included the normal compulsory overtime so if you normally work 45 hour weeks your holiday pay must be a 45 hour week not a 37 hour one ( even if 37 hours is stated in contract as normal week)

according to acas your employer can make you take annual leave while furloughed but it has to at your normal pay rate averaged over 52 weeks ie 100% not 80%
also if it is compulsory to take 2 weeks they need to give 4 weeks notice but they could give notice today that you have to take friday as annual leave ie 2 days notice for 1 days leave
it is also perfectly legal if business still open but quiet for an employer to say everyone needs for example to take 10 days annual leave between now and 30th June
all sorts of companies have these type of rules anyway, in holiday places you might have to take all your leave over the winter, in a shop you might not be able to take annual leave in run up to Christmas, an accountancy firm may not allow holidays at end of financial year or when tax returns due etc etc or maybe you can't book all off your leave in school holidays

www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus/using-holiday

I hadn't booked any but will probably stick with what I often do which is May half term, a couple of weeks in July/Aug, the funny week at the start of Sept when the DCs go back midweek (assuming they do) and a week at Christmas. No childcare issues as they are teens but it's nice being off at the same time as them. May half term has the bonus of being a great week to get everything planted out at the allotment.